Brassiere garment.



W'. J. REID. BBAssIfiRB GARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 22, 1908.

933 ,265, Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

Inventor Jjfiez'd.

Atjty Tocll it may concern:

clasp orother securing means on the corset,

WILLIAM J. REID, OF SOMMON, PENNSYLVANIA.

nmssrnnn cinmmr.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application iiled December 22, 1908. Serial No. 468,835.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. REID, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Scranton, Pennsylvania, have lnvented certainnew and useful Improve-4 ments in Brassiere Garments, the principles ofwhich are set forth in the following specification/ and accompanyingdrawing, which disclose the form-of the invention which I now considertobe the best of the various forms in which the principles of theinvention may be embodied. I

This invention relates to corset-covers of the bra'ssiere type, andconsists in novel means, cooperative with the usual'brassiere' function,for always obtaining a form-fitting front for the corset cover, which isthe object of the invention.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is. a rear view,

'in perspective, of the garment having the invention applied to it,showing the back open to permit a View of the interior improvements ofthis invention; and Fig. 2 is a similar 'vlew showing the back closed,the improvements hereof being indicated by dotted mes.

.Asusual, the brassire may have the common lower eyeleted front tab T orother attachment having an equivalent down-pulling function, forengagement with the corsetor with the hose supporter, to keep the frontpulled down from working upward; and it may have the overlappingback-pieces with the usual lower corner tapes P P which are.brought'around and tied in front; and alsov the button N operating inbutton-hole tape M, thus providing an approximate lower back fit inaddition to an imperfect front fit.

The object of'this type of garment in gen-a eral is a cersetscover whichwill fitpe-rfectly,

- but this common constructiondoes not in all cases insure such a fit,particularly as to the part of the corset-cover above the top of thecorset, and also as to the portion below the corset-top. v

The. object of this'invention therefore, is to combine some means withany suitable brassiere, and in such manner, as to a'lways insure such aperfect fit of the corset-cover against the bust, including particularlythat part above the corset, as will produce theneatest effect, as witheither eveningdressas to fit or with the s'heerest lingerie; waists,asto both appearance-and fit." This means isas follows, its function asa whole being to take up all slack in the front of the corset-cover,

both in and of itself, and by cooperative actachedto the corset-front.The detail functions of the elements of the means will be describedinfra.

Referring to Fig. 1, A, ,A constitute a pair of coiperatingtension-drafts, which may be of the same sheer material as'thecorset-cover, and each having three branches, as at B, C, D. All threeof these branches are independent of the back of the corset cover, butare adapted to engage the back of the wearer, all being located insidethe corset cover and between the front and back thereof. The branch Bextends downward substantially vertically from the horizontal line 1 atwhich it is secured to (or is integral with) the inside of the shoulderstrap of the corset cover, thus being adapted to be pulled down, and,simultaneously with branch B of draft A to tend to pull up the front ofthe corset cover, against the opposition of front-down-pullmg means T,so that in a vertical direction the front-form is ke t taut. The branchC extends horizonta y from the substantial vertical line 2 at which itis secured to (or is integral with), the inside surface of'the side ofthe corsetcover, being thus adapted to be pulled horizontally toward themiddle of the hack to pull out the sides of the front of thecorsetcover, thereby preventing any lateral fu.l lness therein whichwould otherwise exist in the form of vertical front folds or loosenesslI The branches B, C and D may be cut from .the same piece of material,as shown, and

the branch D may be reinforced to strengthen button-holes H by a stripsecured to it along its edge and along the vertical line 3 as .shown.The angular relation of D to B and C in the draft A is such that ahorizontal pull on D to the right, both pulls C substantiallyhorizontally and B substantially vertically, D being functionally ajoint con tinuation of B and C, or a common terminal of both. Thus aforce exerted on D will be.

separated into two components each of which; acts respectively throughB. and G to; effect the respective functions thereof as describedabove.Allbf the members B, C. and D are made of sheer flexible materialPatented Sept. 7, 1909.

tion with the lower front tab which is atso. that there is no stiffnesswhich might ing tight the front of the corset-cover. The branches D, Dare connected and held in cooperative relationas by the elastic strip E,which may be secured so as to be detached when the garment is to bewashed, as by the buttons U in the ,button holes H in said branches. Ifdesired, the proper operating elasticity maybe provided irrespective ofelastic strip E, by making the tension drafts themselves of elasticmaterial in part or whole; but this is not considered so advantageousfor washing, unless such elastic portion be detachable, and theconstruction with detachable elastic strip E is the preferred specificform. On the strip E is a a hook K, secured in position so that itscurve projects downward as shown, with its opening upward, to engageupwardly in the back corset-lacing and thereby keep in operativeposition the entire drafts A and A The rear hook Kis the opposite end ofthe combination from the front tab T, and from the above it will beunderstood how this combination' operates, it being understood thatthe-elastlc strip E provides a yielding link in this combination topermit all possible adjustments with respect'to the unyielding tab T andalso with respect to a condition of.

vertical front-folding which requires out- 'ward tension. Thus alllooseness is insured against, including any below or above the op frontline of the corset, and from side t o side of the front of thecorset-cover, all this being accomplished by means entirely independentof the back of the corset-cover,

but concealed thereb when the back-pieces are tied and buttone in place.In donning the improved garment, the drafts A, A are w not in the wayand do not interfere with the lines;

ordinary operation; they naturally locate themselves. on the back of thewearer, who has then simply to button as at H. U and cause the hook K toengage in the back lacmg, of the corset. In Fig. 2 is shown the relativelocation of the parts after the garment has been applied to the wearer,the tension-drafts being indicated by dotted The construction of thebrassiere proper may be as'is customary, out of fine batiste; and withlight frontal bones shown as in the usual pockets Q, although theoperation of this invention-in maintaining the fit of the front of thecorset-cover is such as to obviate the necessity for stiifeners of 'anykind in the corset-cover.

I claim:

1. The combination with a corset-cover of the brassiere type having twoback-pieces integral with the front, of two cooperating tension-draftstrips of flexible material, independent of the back of the corset-coverand of the corset but adapted to lie flat against the back of the corsetand be concealedby the back of the corset-cover when the two halvesthereof are fixed in place on the wearer; and the frout-down-pullingmeans for the corset-cover; each tensiondraft operatively consisting ofthree branches, one of which is a joint common terminal for the othertwo, the other ends of which other -two branches extend to thecorset-cover, one to a substantially horizontal line of the shoulder ofthe corsetcover, from which it depends substantially vertically inposition to pull up the front of the corset-cover vertically inopposition to said front-down-pulling means thereof; and the other ofsaid other two branches extendin to a substantially vertical line of thesi e of the corset-cover, from which it extends substantiallyhorizontally in position to pull outwardly the side of the front of thecorset-cover; and an elastic strip 'detaehably conn'ectingthe adjacentendsof the common terminal branches of the two tension drafts.

2. The combination with a garment of the brassiere type adapted to.'beworn over a the front of the garment; and the other of said other twobranches secured to the side of said garment, from wh1c h 1t extendssubstantially vertically in pos1t1on to pull outwardly the side of thefront of said garment; an. elastic strip detachably connecting theadjacent ends of the common-termina branches to permit automaticadjustments with respect to the requisite tension on the front of saidgarment; and a hook secured v to said elastic strip to engage the backcorset-lacing and thereby maintain the tens1ondrafts in theircooperative positions relative to the corset-cover. 3. The combinationwith, a garment of the brassiere type adapted to be worn over a corsetto confine the corset-top, of two c0- operating tension draft strips offlexible material adapted to lie fiat against the back of the corset;each tension draft operatively consisting of three branches, one ofwhichis a joint common terminal for the other two, the ends of which othertwo branches extend to said garment, one to the shoulder of thecorset-cover, from which it depends substantially vertically in positionto pull u the front of said garment vertically; an the other of saidother two branches secured to the-side. of said garment, from which 'itextends substantially horizontall in osition to pull outwardly the sideof the out of said garment; and an elastic strip detachably connectingthe adjacent ends of the common-terminal branches, to permit auto:

matic adjustments with respect to the requisite tension on the frontofsaid garment.

4. The combination with a garment ,of

' the brassiere type adapted to be worn over position to pull up thefront of said gar ment vertically; and the other of said other twobranches extendingto the side of said garment, from which it extendssubstantially horizontally in position to pull out-' wardly the side ofthe front of said garment; said joint common terminals of therespective, tension drafts being connected to cooperate in keeping thefront of the corsetcover under tension vertically and horizontally; andmeansfor imparting elasticity to the combination to permit automaticadjust ments with respect to the requisite tensionon the front of saidgarment.

5. The combination with a garment of the brassiere type adapted to beworn over a corset to confine thecorset-top, of two 00-;

operating tension -draft strips of flexible material adapted to lie flatagainst the back of the corset; each tension-draft consisting of threebranches, one of which is a joint common terminal for the other two, theends of which other two branches extend to said garment; one to theshoulder thereof, from which it depends substantially vertically inposition to pull up the front of thecorsetcover vertically; and-theother of said other two branches extending to the side of said garment,from which it extends substantially horizontally in position to pulloutwardly the side of the front of the corsetcover; said joint commonterminals of the respective tension-drafts being connected to cooperatein keeping the front of said garment under tension vertlcally andhOIlZOIltally.

- W. 'J REID. Witnesses:

GREENLEAF WHITTIER PICKARD, PHILIP 'FARNSWORTH.

